Understanding the Hidden Impact of Lifelong Health Conditions

When we talk about health, it is often associated with acute illness that translates to a condition that comes and goes with treatment and intervention. For many people across the US and the entire world, health has become more like an act of balancing their daily actions with lifelong conditions or chronic diseases. These types of diseases not just negatively impact the body but also affect all areas of life including work, relations, personal life, and one’s mental wellbeing.

The good news is that the American healthcare system has gradually begun to acknowledge this. The implementation of this healthcare reform in the United States requires more than recognition and demands patient empowerment and community support.

What Is a Chronic Disease?

Chronic disease is a condition that lasts for more than one year and requires complete medical inspection and ongoing medical attention. In some cases, it also requires the limitation of some activities. Common examples of these diseases include:

Diabetes
Heart Disease
Asthma
Arthritis
Autoimmune diseases

Around 6 in 10 adults in the U.S. live with at least one chronic disease as per the latest survey. This indicates such diseases are mostly misunderstood or minimized in public health conversations.

As compared to acute or short-term illness, such conditions prevail silently over years and most of the patients manage multiple diagnoses at once, each of which brings its own symptoms, interventions, and lifestyle demands. The complexity and time span of illness varies and the long-term ones can slowly interfere with the quality of life as well as one’s wellbeing even if they are finally under control medically.

The Emotional and Social Toll

Lifelong health conditions are something far beyond the physical symptoms and living with chronic illness may lead to social isolations at times, as well as severe conditions such as anxiety or depression, which may further lead to limiting job opportunities, straining relations, and even challenge a person’s sense of identity as a whole. Many patients even complain of not being fully seen or heard by the society or even the American healthcare system as the impacts are not always shown up in lab reports and are rather more realistic and deeply felt.

This is where DXJ patient community plays a great role and serves as a robust platform for connection via shared experiences and honest dialogues. In such a way, patients not only find hope but also a stronger voice for themselves.

The Need for Reform in American Healthcare

Despite all the medical and technological advancements, the American healthcare system still struggles to effectively cater to those suffering from chronic conditions. Patients are often left navigating a complex system on their own, from care coordination to high costs of treatment. This is where the need for patient-first approach arises and healthcare reform in the United States must follow this approach.

Instead of focusing on the costs and efficiency, the reform needs to consider the long-term effect of those managing these conditions on an everyday basis. This includes a stronger mental health support, more responsive feedback loops between the healthcare providers and the patients, as well as an unlimited access to multidisciplinary care.

Doctors, Ethics, and Listening to Patients

Physicians normally take the Doctor’s Oath that is the pledge to serve the patients with the best interest and not to harm anyone. Yet many of the patients having chronic diseases still struggle with feeling heard or attended during appointments. This is not always a case of lack of compassion and most of the time it may be due to systemic issues such as inadequate training of staff and resources and time constraints. Therefore, to fully honor the Doctor’s Oath, there is a need to redesign systems in a manner so that health providers have enough time to engage deeply with the patients, especially those navigating chronic conditions.

The Path to Optimum Wellness

Optimum wellness for those suffering from chronic illness is not always about a cure, it means helping one to live comfortably and as independently as possible. This includes a complete support for mental health, symptom management, nutrition, and economic security. Patients are the masters of their own bodies and when healthcare teams work for them devotedly then the outcomes are likely to be favourable. This can help more patients feel empowered in their care journey.

The same philosophy works behind the DXJ app that serves as an innovative platform and has completely transformed the way patients interact with healthcare systems.

Turning Experience into Insight with the DXJ App

The DXJ app was designed with a clear purpose to give a voice to the chronic disease patients so that they never feel unheard. One can easily participate in the DXJ survey where they can share valuable insights about their personal health journeys, specific chronic conditions, and how they overcame them over time, to give others the same motivation and empower them.

DXJ is different in the manner that it not just collects data and rather helps build a community of like-minded individuals where patients act as the real change-makers. By sharing your story through the app, you are directly contributing to a body of knowledge that can be used by different researchers, healthcare providers, and policymakers for creating more efficient and empathetic systems.

Your Story Matters…Take the Next Step with MyDXJ

You are not alone in the journey if you ever felt like your chronic journey is unimportant to the world. The fact is, it is not. Your experience truly matters to the future of healthcare and every time you participate with something like the DXJ survey, you are actually helping to shift the focus of healthcare towards more personalized and patient-centric care. This can help the future patients stay away from the same barriers.

To make your voice truly count being a chronic disease patient, the DXJ app is right here to help you be a part of something bigger. Join the DXJ patient community and get paid for every single experience that you share. Learn more at MyDXJ.com.